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Newt Newton Tells Rotarians About The Vought-Alenia aircraft plant

June 7, 2005 – On Tuesday, Rotarians were treated to a firsthand look at Charleston’s newest manufacturing facility, the Vought-Alenia plant. Newt Newton of Vought-Alenia told us how construction is progressing at the new plant, gave us some interesting information about the Boeing 787 and then shared a few of the reasons why the city of Charleston was chosen out of 64 other candidates.

Mr. Newton began by introducing himself. He told the group that he knew from the time he was a little boy that he wanted to build airplanes. He trained as a mechanical engineer and joined the Boeing Company in 1967 only to find himself working on the first 747. Since that time, he has had the opportunity to contribute to the development of seven new Boeing models and has been involved in the start-up of five manufacturing facilities. At the Vought-Alenia plant, he will be part of the team to build the body of every 787. Materials for the fuselage will be manufactured here and together with parts flown into Charleston will make up about two-thirds of each aircraft’s fuselage.

According to Mr. Newton, this newest Boeing will bring about the advent of a new generation of aircraft. The composite material which will be manufactured here to build the 787, is the key that will bring about this change. The new material consists of fibers about 2 times the diameter of a single hair. Untold numbers of fibers are sealed together with an epoxy-type glue and then submitted to enormous pressure. The result is a material which is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel.

This composite material has been used by the military and from all reports it does not corrode, has no known fatigue life, and the process of shaping it is incredibly versatile. When used on airplanes, the plan will be 25% lighter and 20% – 25% more efficient than any plane in existence. Additionally, the Boeing 787 will be completely e-enabled. That is, a passenger can take his or her cell phone, computer, or blackberry around the world and stay in touch with the office even while in flight.

Vought-Alenia will employ about 1000 people. Approximately 75% will come from the Charleston area. Since the plant will have such a high need for continuous and on-going training, they will have a training center located right at the work site. When asked why the company selected Charleston, Mr. Newton said our city stood out early in the process. The company was initially attracted to our port facilities which are located right next to a major airport. Secondly, the quality of life here in Charleston was a positive draw. Management knew they would have to ask at least 250 employees to relocate and they wanted to make the process as easy as possible. Finally, and Mr. Newton became serious at this point, “It was the friendliness of the people.” And, he warned, “Don’t ever loose that quality. It is your greatest asset.”

Submitted by Helen Harloe